We start this post by apologising profusely to all our readers who will no doubt be wondering why we haven't been keeping them up to date with the exciting developments on the plot. There are several reasons for this, all of them valid and some may say, extenuating. We have had a HOLIDAY - gasp - away from this country for some 10 days. We also had a housewarming party the weekend after we returned. There is also the Autumn Equinox factor. When you are busy 9-5ers like us, and the clock goes back so all of a sudden no weekday visits are possible, time suddenly becomes a premium commodity. Coupled with the distractions mentioned above, it is really no wonder that we have let things slip on the blogging front. (A minor complication has been the recalibration etc of various home computing issues which has not helped. Hence you will not be getting any videos for a wee while.) Oh and the guests, as the long-awaited picture of Simon, Ruth and Gemma above will testify. They visited back on 13 October! (It goes without saying that while guests are lovely, less time is spent on actually doing anything do the plot.) Anyway, here is a picture of S, R & G with our hearfelt apologies for not getting it up sooner - it's not that we hate you, honest
The plot today looked rather sad and tired and we suspect glad to see us. Our gate had been broken open, we suspect by vandals, though no other significant damage was done. K started on the autumnal clearing up of the plot, whilst N embarked on an exciting Spring project, the planting of daffodill bulbs on the raised bank running alongside the plot. The remaining strands of the once magnificant pumpkin plant are now composted, as are the dead peas. The speedy leeks (note - spring onions really) and 
remaining carrots were harvested. The bed that they were in (Bed A? I lose track of our nomenclature) is now covered with black plastic, and the edges of the plot that bounds our neighbours we have carpeted to squish weeds. 
The one good pumpkin we had, by the way, played an important part in our housewarming party. It was carved and lit - and indeed made the most comforting soup you can imagine. The other pumpkins all fell to rot and went soggy.We started on the next raised bed - in the corner next to the 
compost pile where the pumpkin was growing. The black plastic was ceremoniously raised to reveal a fairly unpleasant looking muddy surface with brown debris of the dead weeks. This area we will dig soon, but want to see if the weeds come up in the next few days. N has begun making the wooden walls. A good start to that end of the plot. The pumpkin compost heap was covered in black plastic, as covered in grass and weeds, and carpet. When it has died down, we will use it to fill the beds.
compost pile where the pumpkin was growing. The black plastic was ceremoniously raised to reveal a fairly unpleasant looking muddy surface with brown debris of the dead weeks. This area we will dig soon, but want to see if the weeds come up in the next few days. N has begun making the wooden walls. A good start to that end of the plot. The pumpkin compost heap was covered in black plastic, as covered in grass and weeds, and carpet. When it has died down, we will use it to fill the beds.
K planted the overwintering onions in the first raised bed on 15 October. They look to be thriving and in the other half of the bed, we have planted Giant Garlic. It is the chunkiest bulb you have ever seen and apparently grow enormous plants with beautiful allium heads. Here is a picture of K holding just one of the CLOVES! In the spring, the rest of our garlic, Solent White, will be planted. (Both these were bought at St Albans Farmers Market.)In the other remaining bed, the celery still continues, but we are beginning to wonder when it will ever be ready. The stalks are thin and green and not especially cerely-y. We had our first taste of the Brussel sprouts for dinner today, and anticipate more, even though the top leaves of the big plant resemble green lacework thanks to what our allotment neighbour thinks are whitefly. Raspberries are stilll coming.
Chatted to two of our allotment neighbours today, one of whom had an improvement notice served on him by the council! A lesson for us all. The other one (the Perfect Plot) has a very fine strawberry bed established and was digging in mushroom compost into one of his beds. Humph.
We had an allotment lunch, and at the end of our time, took a while to sit and contemplate the plot and its lovely environment. Up to four robins sang to us, perched hopefully on spades and flitted off again. Cows mooed in the neighbouring field. All in all, it's good to be back on the plot.
Weather note: sunny and cloudy. Warm enough to work in shirtsleeves but not for too long.
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